“Our Nucor Steel Brandenburg team is proud to be the first Nucor mill to undertake LEED v4 certification. We make our products in a sustainable way and these products, such as steel for offshore wind towers, are going to help build the green economy. It is only natural that we would construct this mill using sustainable materials and practices,” said Johnny Jacobs, vice president and general manager of Nucor Steel Brandenburg.

The mill is set to begin production by the end of this year. A US$1.7 billion investment, it will produce 1.2 million tons of steel plate annually. 

Nucor has said it will be able to produce 97% of plate products consumed domestically and will be one of only a few mills in the world capable of supplying the critical steel components required to build offshore wind farms.

Nucor said there are a number of features that make the mill worthy of LEED certification, including preservation of a large portion of forested area on the property; lighting reduction strategies; a reduced parking footprint; support for green vehicles; and water and energy efficiency measures. 

“In addition, over 75% of the construction waste generated building the steel mill has been diverted from landfills. Sustainable building materials, many directly produced by Nucor divisions, have also been used in the construction of the mill,” Nucor said.